James M. Mead

James Michael Mead (27 December 1885-15 March 1964) was a member of the US House of Representatives (D-NY 42) from 4 March 1919 to 2 December 1938 (succeeding William F. Waldow and preceding Pius L. Schwert) and a US Senator from New York from 3 December 1938 to 3 January 1947 (succeeding Royal S. Copeland) and preceding Irving M. Ives).

Biography
James M. Mead was born in Mount Morris, Livingston County, New York in 1885, and his family moved to Buffalo when he was four. While working as a switchman on the Erie Railroad, he became president of the Switchmen's Union's Buffalo local, and he also served in the Capitol Police from 1911 to 1914. In 1914, he was elected to the Erie County Board of Supervisors, and he served in the US House of Representatives from 1919 to 1938, when he succeeded the late Royal S. Copeland in the US Senate. In 1946, he lost the gubernatorial election to Thomas E. Dewey, and he served on the Federal Trade Commission from 1949 to 1955. He died in Lakeland, Florida in 1964 at the age of 78.